Weasel trap



Oct. 7 i924. 1,511Q12'3u C.a F. HART WEASEL TRAP Filed June 2', 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

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1. 1924.' 1',s11,123 C. F. HART WEASEL TRAP Filed June 2,' 1922 2 shears-sneu 2 27 M YYYY Kir-75m 211 umm A TT ORNE Y.

Patented Oct. 7, 1924.

-cH'ARLEs' rl HART, or BOTTINEAmNoRTH DAKOTA..

. `Application filed June 2,-'

v'f'To @ZZ whom it may cof/wem.'

"Be it'lrnown that I, CHARLES HART, f a'woitizen of the United States,'residing at Bottineau, in the county of Bottineau and l lState of North Dakota, have invented cei-Y tain new" and luseful 'Improvements iny "'ease'l Traps, of ywhich thev following is alspecification.

"TT-his invention appertains to -certain improven-lentsinA animalftraps generally and vvmore particularly to a double form vof such :traps designed for the catching or entrapp-ing oft wea'sels or" other animals of a Vsimilar species. The primary object lof theinvention is to'providefor atrap 'ofthe vclass described, 1 and one'fofa simplified construction and ar-` rangement embodying a novel form or en easement or-'tunnel-'like form for' housing? f ythevtraps per vse,'and which encaseinent is capable of being readily and easily opened" l to give vfull and free yaccess to the traps forV the-inspection, `baiting and setting thereof, or for the release and removal therefrom of an animal or animals caught or entrapped therein.

Y With the foregoing and other equally iin- Y. portant 'objects in view, the invention resides iii the certain new and useful construction and arrangement of parts as will be: hereinafter more fully described, set forth i inthe appended claims, and illustrated in they accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective-'view of a prei-*ferred embodiment -of the trap land as the same appears when set up and ready for use,

--"-'Figure` 2 is a vertical transverse. section through vthe saine, I

v4FFigure 3 is a fragmentary detail, in end elevation, of the lside; and top walls of the' encasement as they. arppear separated one frointhe other'and arranged iniposition readyy forthe interlocking or assembling of fthe'same, ,'Figure 4c is alpla'nviewA of the trapwith he topwall' ofthe encasementremoved,rand i thesidewalls thereofrswung downwardly at the opposite sides of"ther-base;A wherebyf the 1 A j he same,1;and Figure 5 is 'a/:yertical longitudinal sec-fr tion through the encasement with the traps and the hai-t holding means in side elevation.

Referring to the drawings, wherein similar characters of reference designate correand 13', respectively,

cooperation with 'reliannel-ways 16 and 16 :the open ends ofthe encasement.

1922. Serial No. 565,290.

' spending parts tliroughthe' severalviews thereof, the numeral 10 indicates a substantially elongated base of rectangular formation, Kpreferably of wood or the like, having securedon the upper face a sheet vvmetal plat-e 11' of equal area therewith. A pair of oppositely disposed longitudinal side f walls 12 and -12 are provided and the same are' lhinged at their `lower edges as at' 13 to the oppositely disposed longitudinalside edges of the metal bottom yplate 11, while'spacedibetween the hinged portions formed with the latterfor the hinged portions of lside walls 12 and 12, are upstanding ears 111 and 1+i against which the side walls .12 and12 abut, when Aswung on thehinge 13 and 13 to vertical position.' The-4 upper vlongitudinal edges of the side walls 1Q, and

12 are ou'tturned at right angles to provide anges 15 and 15 which are engaged in inynardly opening channel-ways 16 and 16 'formed [by the underturning of the longitudinal side edges of an upper or top wall 17. This upper or top wall 17 is of a slightly greater width than that of the` base 10 .and the plate 11 mounted thereon, so that, to have the flanges 15 and 15 enga-gein the l thereof, the vertical side walls 12 .and 12 must be inwardly flexed beyond the vertical planes v'of the opposite side edges of the base 10, and then allowed to spring outwardly, when the chan .nel-ways 16 and 16" are valined therewith for thek purpose.

" This construction provides for an'ovel encasement of tunnel-like formation open yat both ends, forthe housing therein of a pair of oppositely disposed traps of'substantially conventional form. The traps `are carried bythe metal plate 11, being secured on theupper face thereof in any suitable manner, and each arranged to face one of -Each of thesev traps "comprises a wire 'jaw 18 mounted` to swinging pivoteye or staples 19.The jaw 18,may be formed from a length'ofwire bent into proper "shape tand surrounding fthe' innery transverse: :portions olf-.the jaws 18'faregcoil-#springs "20-, tending tospring @the jaws in.' their .f'orwardl direc tion of movement or toward the opposite open ends of the enc-asement. Pivoted on the plate 11 so as to project forwardly and medially of the pivot oints of the jaws 18, are triggers 21 whic are swingingly suptriggers 21 are formed to provide bent por-l tions 24 of loo-ped formation to freely reoeive the staples 22, and then rise vertically to provide portions 21 having openings Y formed therein to receive the free outer ends of a pair of jaw setting arms 25, -which are l pivoted at their inner ends to staples or the l5' like 26 secured in( the plate 11 atpoints on the longitudinal center of the latter and inwardly of the free ends of the jaw 18 when the same are disposed in their set positions. Vhen the jaws 18 are set, the same are swung to inwardly directed positions, substantially as shown in Figures 1 and 2, whenthe arms 25 will be swung in a forward direction over :the free ends of the jaws 18, and the free ends of the same engaged in the openings formed in the vertical portions 21 of the triggers 21. Se-

, `cured at the opposite end edges of the plate 11 and curving upwardly and inwardly therefrom, are stationary jaw elements 27 with which the free endof the pivoted jaws .18 are cooperative for gripping and otherwise trapping an animal, such as afweasel o-r like. Secured in the removable top wall 17, of the encasenient, is a staple wire or v clip 28 formed to provide an inwardly directed eye supporting thereon a bait receiving member 29, which member is preferably formed of a suitable length lof wire bentv to provide hooked end portions 30 having their free ends sharpened for the ready envgagement thereon of pieces of bait a. This .hookmember 29 is preferably suspended in position from the staple or clip 28 in position medially between the inner ends of the traps whereby as thus constructed and arranged pieces ofy bait a will be secured on the lprongs 23, ofthe triggers 21, and on the pointed ends of the hook portion 30, and the traps will then beset substantially as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Now when the' animal, such as a weasel or the like, enters one of the ends of the encasement and brings its weight to bear against one of the triggers 21, in its attempt to reach and partake of the bait thereon, the bait trigger 21 will be depressed in a manner to cause it to release the complemental jaw setting arm 25,

so that the spring 2O will be free to act on the jaw 18 to swing the same -in an upwardly and forwardly direction andfthen downwardly whereby to entrap the animal between itself and the stationary jaw piece 27 disposed at the end edge of the bottom wall of the encasement. In the event of the bait a, on one or both of the triggers 21 being consumed or removed by the animal or animals without e`ecting the release of the jaw 18, the trap is still baited by reason of the pieces of bait a being held on the hooks 30, so that the chance for an animal to reach all of the bait a without causing a springing of one of the traps is rendered practically impossible.

From the foregoing, it will be readily apparent that, while a preferred embodiment of the'trap has .been described and illustrated herein in specific terms and details of construction, arrangement, and operation, various changes in and modifications ofthe same may be resortedv to without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope of the claims appended hereunto.

Having thus fully describedl the invention, what is claimedisz- 1. A. trap comprising abase, a pair of resilient side walls hinged at their lower ends therewith, each of said walls at its upper end formed with-an outwardly extending right angularly disposed flange, a top having inturned longitudinal marginal portions vcoacting with, said lflanges, said portions and flanges detachably vconnecting the side walls with said top, said base, side walls and top providingy a trapping compartment open at each end,and abutments carried by the base and engaged by the inner sides of said walls.

2. A trap for thepurpose set forth comprisingv an elongated hollow vbody portion forming a trapping compartment open at each end, a pair of oppositely disposed and inwardly extending upwardly inclined stationary jaws secured upon the vbottom of the compartment at opposite/ endsthereof, said stationary jaws of a length substantially equal to the width of and extending transversely of* said compartment, a pair of oppositely disposed spring actuated trapping jaws arranged within saidl compartment between the center thereof and the stationary jaws, an individual bait holding means normally connected-with a spring actuated jaw and interposed therebetween and a stationary jaw, and a second bait holding means independently supported from-within said compartmentbetween said spring actuated jaws.

In testimony whereof, l affix my :signature hereto.

.CHARLES F. HART. 

